Malaysia’s Most Stylish Women: Tengku Chanela Jamidah

BAZAAR’s Malaysia’s Most Stylish Women from each year return to celebrate fabulous fashion and extraordinary moments. Presenting the luminaries, from original top models to world-class journalists, architects, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and wellness gurus—in a class of their own.

Tengku Chanela Jamidah

Founder of Thavia; Co-founder of Dida for Women

With more than 120k followers on Instagram (@tcjamidah), Tengku Chanela Jamidah’s digital presence is undeniable. Beyond the glossy veneer of social media, the full-time entrepreneur/feminist of fashion label Thavia and make-up brand Dida insists that she is most comfortable wearing denim (pretty ace, given her J.W.Anderson denim ensemble at the shoot) and being out of the public eye. “Thavia was created as an evolution of my identity,” she says. “Femininity is what I resonate with now, and being feminine doesn’t mean adhering to only one aesthetic or category. I want to create a community that is welcoming to everyone, so that everyone can feel confident in their own skin.” Since her last feature in 2009, Tengku Chanela has used her voice on social media, and through campaigns of Thavia and Dida, to inspire women. “Social media does subconsciously affect us in ways that we aren’t aware of. You’ve got to be real and acknowledge issues and situations that are affecting you,” she says. But what is the true measure of influence? “If I could inspire at least one woman, putting myself out there becomes worth it.”

TENGKU CHANELA JAMIDAH, in BAZAAR December 2009 ‘Malaysia’s Most Stylish Women’: “Being a designer of my own brand has brought me opportunities and challenges. It has given me a solid foundation of what I believe to be my truest self, and I’ve been using that as an inner compass to guide my journey in fashion.”